A member of our Faculty for 20 years, Professor Graham Mayeda stepped into this role on July 1, 2024, with a commitment to encouraging faculty and students to share their ideas and making sure they feel supported.
“What I find most inspiring about our law school is that we have a lot of professors and students who are really committed to changing the world in which we live.”
Professor Graham Mayeda
"I work alongside dedicated and passionate colleagues, and this has proven to have a direct impact on building dedicated and passionate students.” Graham Mayeda, Vice-Dean, English Common Law Section.
He looks at the year ahead with enthusiasm, ready to get involved with students and faculty alike on diverse topics. He is building on the strong foundation of his predecessor, Professor David Wiseman.
Kristen Boon, the Susan & Perry Dellelce Dean offers her sincere thanks to Wiseman for his years of dedicated service to our Faculty. “His sense of humour is unmatched, and the changes Professor Wiseman enacted, from his willingness to listen with genuine care, will leave a lasting impact.”
Professor Mayeda believes the impact of advocacy work and developments in a faculty’s academic programs comes from the people who teach in it. He plans to support his colleagues in turning their ideas into concrete steps towards ongoing advancements in our curriculum and EDI (equity, diversity and inclusion).
What sets Professor Mayeda apart is his willingness to engage on difficult topics and invite others to join the conversation. In his new role, he hopes to provide many opportunities for students to speak directly and openly with him.
He understands the importance of helping students navigate the challenges of law school. Professor Mayeda believes that his colleagues’ important advocacy work both motivates and encourages a sense of community. “Here, our students find the tools they need to do what inspired them to come to law school in the first place,” says Mayeda.
Professor Mayeda has a long history of community-building activities: as Moot Coach for the Diversity Moot (formerly Julius Alexander Isaac Moot), by mentoring students who are the first in their family to attend university, participating in the addition of a permanent Indigenous legal studies course in the Section's first-year curriculum, engaging in professional activities related to EDI and acting as a member of the Diversity Committee of the County of Carleton Law Association (CCLA).
Mayeda began his legal career at the University of Toronto, where he completed his J.D. in 2004. In July of 2005, he was called to the Bar of Ontario and joined the Faculty. Professor Mayeda has taught criminal law and administrative law for many years, and he does research in both of these areas. He is interested in the impact of law on equality-deserving groups, and he has recently begun research on how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in making legal decisions and giving legal advice. He continues to publish on Japanese philosophy, the subject of his doctorate.
Get to know Vice-Dean, Graham Mayeda a little more by reading publications on his SSRN page.
Welcome to the new job Vice-Dean!